It is known to use spring and/or damper elements of the above-mentioned type to help ensure that displaceable components like doors and windows slide gently or softly into an end position. Drawers that need to be guided softly into a closed position are another example of a displaceable component that may be damped. To accomplish such damping, an activator is disposed on the movable component (that is, the component that is to be damped) which activator is configured to engage the carrier so that the damper element can brake the component. However, if the carrier is not properly installed, the activator may strike the carrier in a manner that could damage or destroy the activator.
This problem has been addressed in the past by manufacturing carriers from relatively soft and compliant materials. Then, if an activator strikes the carrier, the compliant carrier will yield by deforming and thus avoid damage to the activator.
The use of carriers formed from compliant materials is disadvantageous under certain circumstances. For example, when very heavy components (doors or windows up to 400 kg) are to be damped, the deformability of the carrier interferes with the required functionality. This problem emerges in particular as soon as the components to be damped exceed a weight of 90 kg. Carriers formed from compliant materials can also cause problems when an activator impacts a carrier at high speed.